This will address a number of your concerns:

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2007/12/hot-off-the-projector-3-atmospheric-co2-to-800-kyr-ago/

Excerpt:

"Just a few minutes ago Chappellaz et al presented the deepest dregs of greenhouse gas concentration data from the EPICA ice core in Antarctica, extending the data back to 800,000 years ago. In Al Gore’s movie you saw what was at that time the longest record of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, back to 650 kyr, and their astonishing correlation with Antarctic temperature. This iconic superstar record has probably consumed as many eyeball-hours as any in climate science, alongside other classics such as the Jones et al. global temperature trends, the Moana Loa recent CO2 record, and the hockey stick. The Antarctic CO2 record has spawned countless internet rants about the CO2 lag behind temperature, and the circle of cause and effect between CO2 and climate. And the new data say …

The first point to write home about is that the correlation between Antarctic temperatures and CO2 continues unabated. One could imagine a world in which CO2 had no impact on climate, although if you buy that Dick Lindzen has a bridge he wants to sell you. In such a world, it could be that the correlation between CO2 and temperature since 650 kyr was just a coincidence, Mother Nature playing a cruel joke, and maybe in that case a little more data would cause the spurious correlation to start to unravel. That didn’t happen. CO2 continues to be high in warm times and low in cold times. There were no gasps of astonishment from the audience at the continued striking correlation. Ho-hum, of course it still works."

Bottom line: There IS definitely a CO2-temperature connection, and it isn't "absolutism" to say so.

I could see the data as long ago as 1986 when Gunther Weller, at the GI, showed his ice core data to me and explained their significance. He also warned that there might one day be those who tried to show an inverse, or NO correlation in order to escape the consequences. How prophetic he was.

Humans, especially the sub-species Homo Economicus, will consume and waste any amount of time to avoid taking the hard action we need, preferring to castigate those of us not willing to gamble with our future as "desperate people" or "Cassandras".

Basically I agree with Mitchell's advice to Selig with one noteable exception: the arch steroidal criminal and liar, Barry Bonds. He ought to be punished, by having his home run "record" formally rescinded and handed back to Henry Aaron. Until such time that someone of decent caliber and with NO drug links breaks it.

Maybe that will be Alex Rodriguez, who knows?

One more vent: some malicious lies have been spread about Henry Aaron (I think by that cretin "Thrasher") but that was made up and Aaron NEVER EVER used illicit drugs in his whole life.

Aaron is a walking, talking emobdiment for all that is decent about baseball, as opposed to the bottom feeding, "do anything to get ahead" nadir of Bonds.

Bonds has no business in any Hall of Fame, and certainly not with any record that he stole using steroidal cream or other crap. He is a disgrace to his race, and to the game.

I said earlier he ought to be put away for 35 years. That was probably too harsh. Let him go away for five, and come back and be made to perform 20 years of community service while on parole- giving talks to young sportsmen, ball players on how and why he fell so far short of Henry Aaron's standards, and why Aaron is still 'da Man'.